Abstract: The collection consists of silkscreen posters by various artists within the artistic collective, Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF).

Processing Information note

Processed by Special Collections staff, 2006-2013. Supervised by Sheila O’Neill, Head of the Department of Special Collections
and University Archives. Descriptive content for most posters based upon California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives (CEMA),
UC Santa Barbara’s on-line description for RCAF posters. Final finding aid completed in 2013.

Accruals note

No additions are expected.

Acquisition Information

The Royal Chicano Air Force Poster collection was given to the CSUS Special Collections and University Archives by Ricardo
Favela in 2001.

Organizational History

The Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) is an artistic collective based in Sacramento, California. Initially formed at the California
State University, Sacramento in 1970 as the Rebel Chicano Art Front, the RCAF was founded to express the goals of the Chicano
civil rights and labor organizing movement of the United Farm Workers. The founding members of the RCAF included José Montoya,
Esteban Villa, Juan Orosco, Ricardo Favela, and Rudy Cuellar. Montoya and Villa met each other while students at the California
College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. During the Chicano Movement students pressured colleges and universities to diversify
their faculties. As a result, Villa was hired as a professor of art in 1969 and Montoya as professor of art eduction in 1970
at CSUS. Their academic positions gave them the creative freedom to initiate programmatic exchanges between the university
and the community. Through this effort they initiated many programs including the Barrio Art Program, which required university
students to go out into the community, including senior centers, to teach art courses. The RCAF moved off-campus in 1972 and
established the not-for-profit organization, Centro de Artistas Chicanos. Its mission was to make available to the Chicano
community a bilingual/bicultural arts center where artists could come together to exchange ideas, provide mutual support,
and make available posters, educational programs and cultural events to the public. The RCAF artists are best known for their
mural paintings, poster art production, and individual artistic contributions. The artists of the Centro produced murals and
exhibited throughout the U.S. Southwest. Over the ensuing years, the RCAF became the umbrella for various Sacramento community
programs, such as the Aeronaves de Aztlán (Automotive Repair Garage), RCAF Danzantes (Aztec Dance group), Barrio Art Program,
and the RCAF Graphics and Design Center. In 1977, the Centro de Artistas Chicanos and Breakfast for Niños Program (a community
non-profit organization that fed children before school) joined other community organizations, such as La Raza Bookstore (with
its Galería Posada) and the Alkali Redevelopment Office, to create the Cultural Affairs Committee. The CAC organized annual
community cultural events, including the Fiesta de Colores (March), Dia de la Madres (May), Fiesta de Maiz (June), Dia de
los Muertos (November) and Operation Christmas Unity (December). While the "RCAF" originally stood for the “Rebel Chicano
Art Front,” people confused the letters with the acronym for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The artists recognized the humor
within the misunderstanding and adopted the name Royal Chicano Air Force. This new identity found its way into their wardrobe,
as well as their highly successful silkscreen poster program, which began to disseminate the World War I aviator and barnstorming
bi-winged planes as icons. Throughout its history, the RCAF gained a well-deserved reputation for outrageous humor, screenprint
posters, murals, and community activism.

Tere Romo Program Officer, Arts and Culture, The San Francisco Foundation. Author of the monograph,
Malaquias Montoya

Other Finding Aids note

A digital version of the collection is available.

Preferred Citation note

[Identification of item], Royal Chicano Air Force Poster Collection, Department of Special Collections and University Archives,
University Library, California State University, Sacramento.

Conditions Governing Use note

Copyright is protected by the copyright law, Chapter 17 of the U.S. Code. Requests for permission to publish, quote, or reproduce
from collections must be submitted in writing to the Head of the Department of Special Collections and University Archives.
Permission for publication is given on the behalf of the Department of Special Collections and University Archives, The Library,
California State University, Sacramento as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include permission of the
copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Conditions Governing Access note

Collection is open for research.

Scope and Contents note

The Royal Chicano Air Force Poster Collection consists of 171 screenprints produced from 1970s through 2001. The collection
consists of prints created by artists associated with the collective and spans three “generations:” professors, José Montoya
and Estevan Villa; their CSUS students, Rodolfo “Rudy” Cuellar, Ricardo Favela, Louie “The Foot” Gonzalez, Juan Orosco; and
the apprentices in the community, including Raul Suarez, Francisco González, and members of the Impudent Young Pilots (Jesus
Barela, David Buenrostro, Ruben Lerma, José Lott, José Felipe Magdaleno, and Pascual Marquez.)

The collection was appraised in 2001. The identification of creators in this collection is based upon the original appraisal
report. Posters are arranged by artist’s last name, then by year. In the case of multiple artists, items are arranged by the
year of creation, then alphabetized by the title. Poster entries indicated with an asterisk (*) refers to the possibility
of multiple artists.

The print collection is representative of the prolific production of the RCAF, especially during the late 1970s. The majority
of prints are by practicing artists, but a few are by university students. Reflective of their community focus, the posters
serve as announcements for a broad range of community activities, including fundraising dances, cultural events, United Farm
Worker initiatives, and university and college programs. Artistically, the technical aspects of the posters range from simple
one-color posters to elaborate multi-colored and photosilkscreen prints.

Comments / Description: Image of a stylized face with the words “ART” coming from its mouth. The face is set against a yellow
circle. White type on a blue background reads: “Master’s Armando Cid, April 6, May 3, Hr 12-5, Barrios Gallery.”

Comments / Description: Image of two stylized faces and a bird on a yellow background. Blue type reads: “Muchisimas Gracias
a la Ciudad por la Oportunidad de Visitar la Tierra Patria de Nuestros Antepasados, To the City, we would like…Calif.”

Comments/Description: Image of a large bowl with a rooster on its ledge. The background is an orange/yellow graduated semi-circle.
Black type on a white background reads: “Menudo Benefit, Washington Neighborhood Center, Sat. June 28, 400 16th St.”

Comments/Description: Image of a red, white and black circle. There are fourteen hearts surrounding the center circle surrounded
by feather of same colors. Red type on a white background reads: “Benefit Dance, Feb. 21, 9-2, $2, Hupa Facilities Aud., music
by Band on the Run, Todos! Invitados.” The image is the same as Xicano Orientation by Rodolfo “Rudy” Cuellar.

Comments/Description: August calendar page for historical calendar screenprint portfolio. Image of photosilkscreen photographs
of railroad workers and service men on two-thirds portion on the left side. On right side, top box with text is overlaid gold
image of Aztec “xochitl” glyph (symbol for flower). The bottom box has calendar days for August, 1977 in dark brown.

Comments/Description: The image of a silhouetted man with a bow and arrow against an orange circle. The background is in a
graduated mauve. Red, white and yellow type reads at top: “Mexican American, Cena, Baile, Awards Night, Cuna;” at bottom:
“Boletos at Hispano, Domingo, 30 de mayo…Sunrise Blvd.”

Comments/Description: Image of a “lowrider” with a bat [Drawing by Victor Hernandez] ready to hit one-handed an approaching
baseball on an orange/yellow graduated background. “Sociedad Guadalupe” and a yellow star on his long coat. White on black
type reads: “Benefit Dance, Sociedad Guadalupanas Baseball Team…Woodland Fairgrounds.”

Comments/Description: Colors: orange, yellow, magenta, light and dark green. Image of an orange corn growing from a light
and dark green stalk. Background of orange/yellow graduation. Type reads: “Fiesta de Maiz, June 5, noon to dusk, Southside
Park, no booze.” There are two versions of this print: one in black and one in purple outlines.

Comments/Description: Reinterpreted image of the ‘scales of justice’. Left scale is a yellow sun with tongue sticking out.
The right scale is a quarter moon. Two intertwined stylized snakes from the base. The background for this image is a green
and blue circular map of North and South America. White and blue type on a brown background reads: “La Raza Law Students Association,
Attorneys, Community Org., Students, Paralegals.” Brown type in the light blue area reads: “Sabado, Mar. 12, 9-5, Domingo,
Mar 13, 10-13, History & Future…Vencerenos.”

Comments/Description: Image of bridge spanning a river with reflection in the water. Black text begins at the top and continues
through the middle of the image and reads: Sacramento State MECHA Presents Cinco de Mayo Celebration, c/s, Thurs. May 3, 1:00
– 3:00, Quad…Los Elegantes.”

Comments/Description: Black and white image of an enclosure with stairs leading to Virgen of Guadalupe with Juan Diego in
upper left corner; tree and white sphere on the upper right. White text in lower right against graduated background of black
to red reads: “Dia de los Muertos, Sunday, Novemeber 2, 1980, 2:00PM, Meet at Hiram Johnson High School…Altar exhibit at La
Raza Bookstore, 1228 F St., Sac.”

Comments/Description: Image of a Native American on a red, black & yellow background. Black type reads: “200 years of Misery,
1776-1976, The White Man made us many promises, but only kept one and that promise was to take our land away and they took
it.”

Comments/Description: Image of Virgin of Guadalupe’s face against background with landscapes; crescent moon on one side, sun
on other. Stylized United Farm Worker’s logo/eagle at left, right and at top with text that reads: “Dia de las Madres,” Pyramid
form in magenta at the bottom with text that reads: “Monday May 10, 1976, St. Joseph’s Schoolyard…bailables, poesia, 3:00PM
– 9PM, Todo gratis.” Digital Image: 9863 [Appraisal Number: 054]

Comments/Description: Poster for “Pilots of Aztlan, Royal Chicano Air Force.” Drawing of male and female members of RCAF with
eagle flying overhead. Text in red at bottom reads: “Pilots of Aztlan, MG, 95 Royal Chicano Air Force.”

Comments/Description: On a yellow background brown type shaped into a tree reads: "Cara Nueva, c/s, there was a new life that
dreams, and then all of a sudden there...no." [NOTE per Tere Romo: one of the “Serious Series” of concrete poems turned into
posters.]

Comments/Description: Photosilkscreen in purple and blue of RCAF women (Rosalie “Huatacha” Souza and Juanita Polendo) being
arrested by the police during United Farm Workers strike activities. Around the image, black text reads: “International Women’s
Year, Chicana, 1975…Chicana en el Movimiento.” There are two versions of this print; one has tan background and brown figures.
[Photo by Hector Gonzalez, Luis’s brother.]

Comments/Description: Image of four red flowers with letters forming the petal design. These flowers are in a gradated flower
pot of red/yellow/blue/purple and set against a background of blue with dark blue letters forming a concert poem. White type
in the flower pot reads: "Mercado de las Flores, Hosy yard,...de la 1-6." At the bottom, below the image area in purple it
reads: "Boycott Gallo, Don't Buy Lettuce, No Compren Coors, Chale con Ford, Support your Local Chicanos, c/s" Digital Image:
0058 [Appraisal Number: 044]

Comments/Description: Red type on a yellow background reads: "No oyes, Rio, No o yes, Rio, Don't you hear the words, of so
much mush, syllables up the ass, I feel like a lush, with the luxury, of being heart-broken." [NOTE per Tere Romo: one of
the “Serious Series” of concrete poems turned into posters.]

Comments/Description: Red text in handwritten script within blue area reads: “I’m tired of allowing myself to follow you.”
The reddish black script in the orange/yellow area reads: “Show me a short cut.” [NOTE per Tere Romo: one of the “Serious
Series” of concrete poems turned into posters.]

Comments/Description: Orange, white and light blue squares within each other. Brown background in light blue, pink and yellow
with text that reads: “Breakfast for Niños at Curbstone. Place - 360 Wilson Avenue. When - Feb. 7, 1977, What time – 6:30-8
am, Free Breakfast Every School Day for all School Age Kids, Welcome.”

Comments/Description: Image of Mexican Independence hero, José María Morelos on a blue to magenta graduated background. [NOTE
Per Luis Gonzalez: This print was for sale at the 16th of September celebration.]

Comments/Description: Image of Uncle Sam in black with pointing finger set against background of red barbed wire in flag stripes
pattern. To the left of figure is box with skull and crossbones and letters “U.S.” on each side. Blue text above figure reads:
“School of the Amerikas;” black text to the right: “We Want You!;” red text below: “To kill your own people!”

Comments/Description: Image of a woman in a peach dress, with a fluorescent orange and red pointed collar. Three stripes of
red, peach, and fluorescent orange runs across her face. Her halo or headpiece is floral shaped with yellow sunbursts, and
orange petals. Purple type reads: “Variedades Chicanas, Sundays, Mar. 18 & 25th…7:30-9:30 p.m.”

Comments/Description: Images of a man building or repairing a wooden table and a woman fixing a sink. On red to yellow graduated
background, dark brown type reads: "Need Assistance in Landlord Tenant Rights? Are you Having Problems with: Repairs-Rentals-Ownerships...ph.
444-8956."

Comments/Description: An image of a blue shirt, yellow tie, and bandolero. Type on the bandolero reads: “Mexican-American
Political Association.” Type on the tie reads: “Invite you to listen to the Candidates.” On the blue shirt it reads: “April
5th, Marcela Flores, Moderators for Candidates for Supervisor and Judge … Washington School.”

Comments/Description: Two separate black and white images on same piece of paper. The image on the left side is a woman from
waist up wearing hoop earrings and a scarf in her hair. The figure is carrying a produce packing box with UFW logo on front
and “Dolores” [Huerta] stamped on side. The image on the right side is a cubist-like bust of a male farmworker with a head
and shoulder covering. Digital Image: 9961 [Appraisal Number: 067]

Comments/Description: Image of a blue river, with red, green and yellow banks, rocks and trees, twist down from the mountain.
Dark blue type reads: "Friends of the River, if you are concerned with the...443-2968."

Comments/Description: Images of José G. Posada and his son about 1900 and a photo-silkscreened image of a female skeleton
from the Diego Rivera mural in the 'Hotel del Prado' in Mexico City set against a red background. Type on a black background
reads: "José G. Posada, Mexican Printmaker 1852-1913." Gold type reads: "A Tribute to José Guadalupe Posada, June 13-July
13...Saturday 12-5." Digital Image: 9930 [Appraisal Number: 149]

Comments/Description: Image of car being towed by towtruck set against red to blue graduated background. Yellow and red flowers
are in forefront and alongside road. Yellow text reads: “Donate, Your used car, boat, truck or RV to El Centro de la Raza…A
Member of United Way of King County.” [Centro de la Raza located in Seattle, Washington.]